The Paradox of “Corporate Culture”: Reconciling Ourselves to Socialization

The term "socialization" usually evokes a strong emotional response and is often misunderstood. While it does seem to go against our culturally-ingrained "individualism, "a certain degree of carefully thought out socialization does make organizations work better—as evidenced by the success of strongly socialized firms. This article examines the "seven steps of socialization" and provides a method for rating a firm9s corporate culture.